Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Taken at the flood --- Army gains where media fails

By Ajai
Shukla

Business Standard, 16th Sept 14

If
perspectives of this month’s flood disaster in Jammu & Kashmir, especially the
New Orleans-like inundation of Srinagar, were shaped only by national
television, this would be a simple story of how the Indian Army again pulled
the chestnuts out of the fire. Day after day, this monochromatic narrative
played out with minor variations, like the suggestion that Kashmiris should
thank the army for saving their undeserving hides.

The
insensitivity even took the form of taunting questions to Kashmiris about
whether they should now learn to love the army that they criticised so much.
Had TV channel editors warned off their half-baked correspondents, the army might
have benefited enormously from public gratitude for its selfless work. Instead,
there was seething anger on the streets of Srinagar at this crass and tactless
milking of nationalism.

The stage
on which this disaster played out is littered with protagonists, most of who
did not receive the attention they deserve. First amongst them is the Aam Kashmiri. The national media failed
dismally in highlighting the local response, and the rescue effort that locals
mounted when their government proved unable to. While the state government has
been rightly castigated for evaporating when it was most required, there has
been insufficient examination of the pretenders --- the separatist leaders who
usually waste no time shoving their way into the limelight. The central
government has reaped the benefits of the army’s good work, but has questions
to answer about why its other agencies failed to function, such as the National
Disaster Management Agency (NDMA).

Let us
publicly acknowledge the common Kashmiri --- an inappropriate term because Srinagar’s
inhabitants demonstrated in the face of calamity that they are uncommon folk. From
Day One of the crisis, even before the army could swing into action, students, mohalla leaders and common folk began
moving the marooned to safer locations, using makeshift methods. Initial army
efforts benefited from these splendid youngsters, since government servants had
simply abandoned their responsibilities. Then, with families separated and
people missing, these techno-savvy youngsters used social media to bridge the
communication gap. Others established relief camps to receive emergency
supplies that began flowing into the valley as the country rallied behind
Kashmir.

The local media,
even with its publication equipment knocked out by the flood, comprehensively outdid
the national media. Taking quickly to social media, local reports provided the first
insights into the bravery of locals.

Notwithstanding
this grassroots solidarity, the disaster revealed a traumatised, fractured and
leaderless society. Of Kashmir’s many internal fault lines, none has emerged as
starkly as the abyss between the people and their leaders. This mirrors the street
violence of 2008, 2009 and 2010, when leadership slipped into the hands of the
people and previously unknown luminaries like Masarat Alam. This month, again,
the Kashmiri leadership --- both elected and separatist --- vanished,
reappearing much later as a speck in the rear view mirror, scrambling to invent
a rationale for itself.

Not even a
disaster so immense should sweep away an entire government structure. If, as
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah dramatically declares, Kashmir’s police, civil
servants and even ministers were themselves struggling to survive, why did they
not reappear later, in whatever battered form, for rescue work? When students
and local community members could organise rescue work, what reason was there
for governance to evaporate? The bleak conclusion is that the J&K
government has become a securitised structure, focused only on the physical protection
of its leaders and functionaries. Will the J&K government call its
absconding functionaries to account? Unlikely, given that the absentees include
top bureaucrats and ministers.

In another
environment, fundamentalist, even jihadi, elements might have garnered
credibility by coming forward when government leadership collapses. This
happened during the 2010 floods in Pakistan, when Jamaat-ud-Dawa (the
Lashkar-e-Toiba front) was prominent in organising rescue and relief, just as
it had done after the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir. Fortunately, the separatist
leadership in Kashmir is less dynamic. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who could have
opportunistically gained brownie points, only discredited himself by accusing
the army of “staging rescues” for TV cameras. Geelani grossly underestimates
the Kashmiri people.

It is hard
to dispute that the army has emerged from this disaster with its image
enhanced. Yet, it is the nature of day-to-day politics in Kashmir that this is
only a transient gain. A single fake encounter, a single allegation of rape or
molestation, and the public dialogue will revert to the injustice of the Armed
Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the alleged brutality of “India’s army of
occupation”. New Delhi must realise that the military’s good work in the floods
is a mere opportunity for a political outreach to Kashmir. If the moment is not
grasped, it will quickly pass.

The most
impressive dimension of the army’s rescue work was not the 2,26,000 people
rescued; the infant handed out swaddled in a blanket; the grandmother hauled out
of swirling waters; or the chopper landing on the roof of a house to convey the
frantic inhabitants to safety. The army does those things all year round. Instead,
an unusually impressive performance has come from the army’s media
organisation, the army liaison cell (ALC). Under an imaginative commander, Lieutenant
General Shokin Chauhan, the ALC transformed its FaceBook page and Twitter feed
into an information exchange, in which distressed enquiries from across the
country were forwarded through a closed WhatsApp group to Srinagar, providing
inputs into decisions about where to send rescue parties. Similarly, details of
people rescued flowed back from Srinagar, with the ALC disseminating the good
news to the world. The army’s longstanding weakness has been its public
interface. This could be changing.

13 comments:

Deepak Sharma
said...

Well said, Indian Army needs to be a little more open to public interaction besides, sdbhavana camps and GOC,s dinner with Civil Admin or source at unit level. It is a known fact that any good deed however great is as good as the smallest error, this is true even with our own life, so easy to negate whole life's good effort with one bad word. Smaller scale floods hit Pulwama and Awantipur in 1996-97, we did the rescue ops as part of 81 mtn bde. It took me about a month to find out that approx Rs 1cr per km/annum for maint of bund wall of Jhelum is siphoned off starting at new delhi to local contractor with total impunity. Not even one percent is spent on ground. This floods were coming in any case and took a little longer than it should have. It was covered by NDTV besides other channels but no one reported the cause or other aspects of floods. I submitted a report in writing through normal channel and was not surprised with casual handling. There needs to be change of concept of the AFSPA, if it need to be effective, to have participation in local and or state level governance at suitable levels. Do we ever learn lessons as a nation, as an organisation. These floods are declared as an act of Nature or God as we may like to put it depending on personal choice. There will be no fact finding activity in true earnest to preclude irresponsibly behavior of God or Nature again.

I agree, it is an opportune moment to make a new beginning with the Kashmiris. The Central Govet has done the wise thing by not Tom-tomming it's role in the rescue efforts. Unlike Uttarakhand last year, I also didn't notice food packets with Sonia's picture on them this time! In the face of the collapse of the State Govt, when I seem to have missed even a single statement from the Chief Secy, the state must be swiftly put under Governer's Rule for the re-building of the State. Professionals in every field must be made advisors..... Winter is almost upon us.

Very relevant point when Ajay says"If, as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah dramatically declares, Kashmir’s police, civil servants and even ministers were themselves struggling to survive, why did they not reappear later, in whatever battered form, for rescue work? ".

This is equally applicable in other parts of the country also. IF THE NETAS CAN ORGANISE WITH MAMMOTH CROWD AT SHORT NOTICE WHY CAN'T THEY MOBILISE RELIEF WORK THE SAME WAY???

well said- ajay shukla sir- articualte and to the point- adgpi has indeed reinvented itself-much more is possible -esp by way of blogs- forr which i have already suggested a method the the ddgpi- maybe yr word wil hasten the process- as we have an immense space to gain from- jai haind- an insied and devoted comrade- am avlbl ofr sugestions/ action- in case u deem fit- pl cntct at bhaskergupta12@gmail.comregds

The Army or the Air Force does not need the public interface.The people know that what Army can do no one else does.The Army has resources, organisational heirarchy and a disciplined and self less force.It has always done its best during floods, internal security or during the terrorist attacks.It does not need any certification either.

Could not agree more. Recognition must be given to those not in the limelight as well.

In this case the Kashmiri youth who took part in rescue efforts and in the Army and Air Force to not only the rescuers on the tip of the spear but also the guys planning, coordinating and organizing at the back.

Lastly, I also wish Media agencies start professionalizing themselves and not constantly insult the intelligence of the viewer. Dont try and propagate, just report.

You got it absolutely correct. But then again that is the cultural difference between our two people. We the Kashmiri's help but never mention it (the left hand must not know what the right has given). You guys give a little and then advertise it big. All this will get is hatred and people are saying we are not them and they are not us. We do charity for the sake of Allah, you do it to win us to fly your flag.

Jamat ud- dawa in Pakistan is one of the major charitable organizations. Not sure you know this, but they also get funding from the government and are allowed to collect Zakat. The civil society in Pakistan is much stronger.